Specialist
UK Expat Mortgage Service
Mortgages for British Expats Buying or Refinancing Property in the UK
Get an Expat Mortgage Quote
Complete the simple form to receive your tailored expat mortgage options.
Loading form...
Mortgages for British Expats Buying or Refinancing Property in the UK
Complete the simple form to receive your tailored expat mortgage options.
Through our market knowledge, we can deliver enhanced, bespoke or exclusive terms based on your requirements.
Looking for expat mortgages in the UK while living and working overseas, or planning a move back? Expat mortgages are specialist UK mortgage products for British expats living outside the UK who want to buy, refinance, or remortgage UK property, including residential, buy-to-let and investment properties.
However, getting a UK mortgage from overseas can be tricky because lenders assess foreign income, credit history, and country of residence differently. This can limit your options and affect the rates you’re offered, whether you’re an overseas landlord, a UK national living and working abroad, or an expat returning to the UK.
This guide answers the most common questions and helps you understand which specialist routes are available and what you need to do to access the best available deals.
Complete the simple form to receive tailored expat mortgage options.
Loading form...
An expat mortgage is a specialist mortgage designed for British expats living abroad looking to buy property in the UK. You’re classed as an expat if you’re a UK national living abroad, but foreign nationals residing outside the UK may also qualify for expat mortgages under certain circumstances.
Some lenders specifically offer expat mortgages to overseas investors as well as those seeking a residential property.
If this is you, you’ll need to speak to a mortgage lender specialising in mortgages for UK expats. However, accessing these lenders directly is not always easy.
Our dedicated team of expat mortgage brokers have access to a wide range of expat mortgage products you won’t find on the high street. We can confidently work around your foreign income, complex income structure and overseas employment status.
Want more tips on securing a UK mortgage as an expat? Watch our short video below.
At Clifton Private Finance, we are UK expat mortgage experts, and our specialist brokers have the expertise to deal confidently with the complexities of the expat mortgage market.
We are highly experienced in securing loans for British expats, handling complex applications, and finding bespoke solutions.
We can help you:
On your behalf, we will:
You will be fully supported throughout the entire process, from the initial consultation to completion, ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience.
All of these factors vary from case to case, depending on your circumstances and what you’re looking to achieve. Careful planning and having a clear understanding of your financial situation before applying for an expat mortgage are essential to ensure you get the most suitable options and a smooth approval process.
Speaking to a specialist expat mortgage broker is the quickest way to get all of your funding options laid out for you.
Note: expat mortgage applications can take 4-6 weeks to process. If you need to move quickly, a mortgage product may not be the most suitable option. We can also help to source bridging loans for expats who need faster, short-term property finance.
As an expat mortgage broker with strong relationships across the specialist lending market, we also provide tailored solutions for foreign national mortgages.
Get an idea of how much you can borrow and what rates are available to you by using our expat mortgage calculator.
Most UK lenders will offer between 3.5 and 6 times your total annual income. The exact amount you can borrow depends on how the lender calculates your net income and apply their affordability criteria. Typically, expat mortgages can carry stricter affodability assessments than domestic mortgages.
As with any mortgage loan, how much you can borrow comes down to affordability. An expat lender will look at how much you earn versus your outgoings and the potential new monthly payments.
Your credit score will also affect your borrowing power, as well as the size of deposit you can afford.
Your employment history, outstanding debts and your number of dependents are all factors they might also take into consideration.
If you're looking for a high Loan To Value (LTV) expat mortgage, borrowing at 85% of the purchase price of a property is pretty much the ceiling that can be achieved for most expatriate clients.
However, it always comes down to your personal circumstances, and each lender differs in the amounts they are prepared to lend and what they will include as your income.
A specialist mortgage advisor has in-depth knowledge of lenders' criteria and, with an understanding of your situation, will be able to give you a true estimate of how much you could borrow, subject to a full review of your circumstances.
Case study: Our case study below details how we helped a British doctor living in Canada purchase a base in London
How difficult your expat mortgage application will be depends on what country you are living in.
Some UK lenders process plenty of expatriate mortgages from countries such as the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates, so they are equipped to deal with these applications.
However, lenders less commonly see other countries, which means they don't have the administrative and underwriting processes in place to deal with applications.
For example, they may have fewer specialists in place, meaning they'll be less familiar with tax legislation, employment laws and other cultural differences for your country of residence, adding a greater administrative burden and financial risk to lending you money.
Here is a list of some popular locations that we frequently source expat mortgages for our clients:
Please note that this list is not definitive, and if your country of residence does not appear here, we may still be able to help.
Complete the simple form to receive tailored expat mortgage options.
Loading form...
For both a residential or a buy to let mortgage in the UK, most lenders will require a 25% deposit.
Expat applicants may also need to meet additional requirements, such as providing proof of the deposit's origin and other supporting documentation.
It is possible, however, if your circumstances are right, to find expat lenders who will accept a 10-20% deposit. If you can’t afford to put down as much as 25%, you’ll need to seek the advice and guidance of an experienced mortgage broker who has access to specialist lending.
It goes without saying that the most attractive mortgage rates and terms go hand in hand with a larger deposit.
Firstly, your country of residence will affect the application criteria.
If you are located in countries such as the U.S., Singapore, or the United Arab Emirates then your chances of getting a mortgage are high. We are highly experienced in helping clients from these countries, and lenders are typically well set up to process applications.
However, there are some higher risk countries that UK lenders are typically less willing to consider.
For example, certain African and European countries are often treated with stricter application criteria. This does not mean it is impossible to secure an expat mortgage, but there may be a higher requirement threshold.
Here are the requirements you'll likely need to meet for an expat mortgage application:
Speak to one of our expert brokers to confirm if you are eligible for an expat mortgage.
The more complex your mortgage application, the more documents you’ll need to supply to support your income, deposit, nationality and identity. If you are applying in joint names, you may need to provide additional documentation for both applicants, especially regarding financial and residency status.
Here are the essential documents that you almost always need for an expatriate mortgage application when purchasing a residential property:
Remortgaging as a British expat can be time-consuming and tricky, but the rewards of securing a great deal on a new mortgage can significantly outweigh the cost and effort.
We speak to clients on a daily basis who are looking to remortgage for one of the following reasons:
Buy-to-let mortgages for non-UK residents are more complicated and expensive for banks to process, but you can still access a good range of options through specialist lenders, with a typical minimum deposit requirement of 20%.
Many of our expat clients are investors looking to purchase property in the UK on a buy-to-let mortgage that can double up as a base for back home. Many overseas investors also seek buy-to-let mortgages in the UK, taking advantage of the strong rental market and long-term growth potential. It's also possible to get an expat holiday let mortgage on an investment opportunity.
And with the potential of both rental income and growth in value of UK buy-to-let properties, they present an excellent investment opportunity. That’s before you factor in the value of having a base back in the UK for future use.
As with residential expat mortgages, most standard mortgage lenders do not accept non-UK residents for buy-to-let applications. However, our expat mortgage team has strong experience in finding suitable buy-to-let lenders for expat clients.
We understand that many of our clients live in a different time zone, so our team ensures prompt communication and real-time updates throughout the process to make your experience as smooth as possible, no matter your time zone.
An interest-only repayment option on an expat buy-to-let mortgage is less favoured by lenders, but if you have good credit history and can put down a larger deposit, a specialist mortgage broker will be able to find you a deal.
Case study: Our case study below explores how we secured market-leading rates on a Surrey buy-to-let for two expats living in Singapore
If you’re looking for a UK mortgage as a returning expat, you will typically find it more difficult to get finance from a standard UK mortgage lender. And it becomes especially difficult if you’re still earning in a foreign currency while you apply or if you’re in between jobs during your relocation.
However, there are lenders out there who specialise in working with expats moving back to the UK.
At Clifton Private Finance, we can help you access specialist lenders and navigate more complex scenarios.
For example, if you have employment lined up for your return but it hasn’t started yet, we can still secure you a mortgage based on your projected contracted income if we can get the right documents and connect you with the right lender.
And the same goes for overseas income or complex earning streams. Although you may have been turned down by your current bank or mortgage provider, as your expat mortgage broker, we can connect you to lenders with specialist underwriters who are suited to your application.
Whether it’s a specific currency or an unusual industry that you work in that’s causing roadblocks, our expat mortgage team has the knowledge, experience, and lender relationships to secure you appropriate finance.
Note: If you have invested in a personal portfolio bond while overseas, you may be liable to pay a tax upon your return to the UK.
Case study: Read our case study below on how we raised £750k in capital for a self-employed trader moving back to the UK
Securing a UK mortgage with a foreign income can be notoriously difficult.
Even widely used currencies like U.S. Dollars or Euros can be a red flag on your mortgage application for most high street lenders.
Foreign currency income streams are an issue for banks for the following reasons:
All of these factors increase the risk to your bank for lending you money and make the process more costly from an administrative point of view.
But there are specialist lenders, and even some high street lenders, that can accept foreign income for a mortgage in the right circumstances.
You need to package your application correctly, have the right documents on hand, and ideally, have a mortgage broker on your side pushing through your application.
If you want to apply for a joint mortgage with a non-UK national partner, it can be difficult to get a mortgage via a mainstream lender. They are likely to reject your application based on the complexity that your scenario presents.
But if you speak to chosen lenders via the right specialist mortgage broker, you can still find suitable finance options.
And if you're a foreign national living outside of the UK buying property here, speaking to a specialist mortgage broker at Clifton Private Finance is advisable to see if there are options out there for you.
We’re experts at arranging UK expat mortgages, but we won't arrange one for you if it’s possible to get cheaper domestic mortgage terms.
If you approach a high-street lender or building society showing a foreign currency income, they will typically tell you that you’re an expat borrower.
However, we’ve had significant success in obtaining non-expat mortgages for clients who live and work outside the UK and have non-sterling salaries.
For example, you may frequently return to Britain or have a primary residence here. Evidence of existing ties to the UK can help you qualify for a UK national mortgage, which means you'll have access to a larger number of lenders and more favourable deals.
To do this, we need to be able to show:
To see what we can do for you, call us at +44 117 959 5094 or book a free consultation below.
If there were 10 stars, I would give them. Excellent, efficient service, got the best rates available o n the market. Nick Kerley was brilliant throughout the whole process, I would definitely recommend Clifton Private Finance and 100% use them again.
I had the pleasure of working with James Ellacott on brokering my commercial mortgage. James and his team delivered outstanding service throughout the entire process—always quick to respond to my requests and consistently going the extra mile to help me secure additional funding. I highly recommend them.
We did NOT have an easy time getting a mortgage for our recent home purchase, but Patrick went above and beyond in finding a lender and navigating their seemingly endless barrage of requests and delays. He'll be our first call in two years when we need to remortgage.
